Peppermint Winter
by SilverEyeShinobi
Summary: When Toothiana Frazee clocks Jack Frost in the face with her elbow by accident, it's the start of something magical. Human!AU Frostbite. Cover and original idea by xxMeMoRiEzxx on deviantART! Thank you for letting me write it!
1. Chapter 1: An Ungraceful Encounter

**A/N: I have been graciously gifted with the beginnings of a plot bunny ^^ A wonderful person on deviantART by the username of xxMeMoRiEzxx drew this WONDERFUL picture (said picture is the cover for this story) complete with a description on how Jack and Tooth met, and I asked if maybe I could write the story. **

**And what do you know? Here we are ^^**

**Anyway, original idea goes out to xxMeMoRiEzxx ^^ (Ya know, how they met and the character headcanons :P)**

**I am so glad to have the plot bunnies dancing through my head once more...**

**I hope you enjoy the story ^^**

Peppermint Winter

Chapter 1: An Ungraceful Encounter

Some would call him a slacker. Others would call him lazy. The rest? A waste of air.

But to the people who knew him, Jack Frost was a bright and cheery personality. Unfortunately for him, not many people _did_ know him. He was 'invisible' so to speak. Wallpaper. Always hanging around, but never really noticed. Yes, he got lonely sometimes, but he enjoyed solitude.

But today was the start of what would be an ordinary day for Jack Frost. His alarm clock went off at six forty-five in the morning, and he hit the snooze button until it was seven. Then he pulled his half asleep form from the bed and made himself some breakfast. He never bothered to brush his shaggy brown hair. It would just get messed up throughout the day, therefore, he never saw the point. Instead, he just dragged his fingers through it to get the knots out.

"Okay..." He sighed, checking the calendar on his refrigerator. "Where am I today?" He quickly found today's date and nodded to himself. He was at the ice rink.

Jack pulled on his navy blue jacket with the fur on the hood and shoved his feet into his sneakers before pushing the front door to his apartment open. As always, the halls were a mess, wallpaper peeling off the walls and paint chipping in random places.

"Frost!"

Jack jumped slightly, turning towards the voice. It was E. Aster Bunnymund, his landlord.

"Bunny!" Jack said, smiling as if he were greeting an old friend, quickly locking the door to his apartment. "What's up?"

"You're behind on the rent again, Frost." He said in his Aussie accent.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry." Jack turned to him, giving him a pitiful smile. "I'll have it by the end of the week, all right? I had to put winter tires on my car this month. The installation-"

"No more excuses, Frost." Bunnymund growled. "Pay your rent, or I'm hauling your ass out of here." Then he turned and walked away, leaving Jack alone. For a moment, his brown eyes grew distant as he stood outside his door for a few seconds. Then he sighed and bowed his head, shaking it quickly as he got his head back on straight. He had no time for contemplating his issues. He had to get to work or he wouldn't have anything for Bunnymund by the end of the week.

_Maybe I should just live in a tent..._ Jack thought to himself. _It would spare me the trouble..._ He headed for the stairs, not trusting the dinged up elevators. He didn't know if they even got serviced anymore. Besides, he had claustrophobia. If he couldn't hold his arms out to the sides and spin around freely, the space was too small. Unless he could open a window and have fresh air. Then he was fine. It gave him the illusion of freedom, something he cherished. It was the reason he dropped out of college in the first place, which had probably been a bit of a mistake.

Jack jumped the last two or three stairs, landing with a _smack_ on the tile below. Then again, he no longer cared about college. He just wanted to live and do what he wanted to do, which was snowboard. He also loved skating. Winter sports in general actually. He dreamed of moving up north to where it snowed constantly. Unfortunately, he was having trouble finding the funds to do so.

A cold gust of wind hit Jack in the face as he stepped out of his apartment. He smiled to himself. Winter was here! Snow crunched beneath his shoes as he walked, heading for his car, which was an old Honda.

Jack unlocked his car door and stepped inside. He kept the door open until he rolled the window down then turned the car on. It sputtered to life, purring happily since its tune up two weeks ago. Jack hoped it would last the winter. He couldn't afford a breakdown. He'd have to sell the thing for scrap metal if that happened. And even then, the car was his main way of getting to work. If he lost it, he'd be on foot. As much as Jack liked physical activity, it would take him half an hour to get from his apartment to the skating rink. And even then, he needed transportation to get to the ski hills where he worked Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday teaching kids how to snowboard. Thursday was ice rink day. Sunday and Tuesday? Those were free days. Jack liked those just as much as the rest of his week.

Jack pulled out of the parking lot, the wind whipping his still messy hair around as he drove, one of his hands hanging out the window. The cold bit his fingers, but he simply didn't care. To him, the cold was life. He turned on the radio, smiling as his favourite music hummed through the car. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he drove, cold wind from outside rushing into his face.

Jack pulled into North Pole Sports Center and climbed out of his car, rolling the window up before shutting the door. He spun his keys around his finger, whistling as he pushed through the door.

"Good morning, Jack!" One of his co workers called.

"Morning." Jack said in response.

"Terrible weather, eh? I still don't have my snow tires on!"

"I like it." Jack stated. "And I got my tires on two weeks ago. Pays to be prepared, you know?"

His co worker, Jack _thought_ his name was Jason but he wasn't quite sure, laughed.

Jack stuffed his keys into his pocket before they went flying off his finger and headed towards the head office to check in. North, his boss, always gave him a job for the day. Sometimes he was in charge of slapping on a pair of skates and skating with the people during the public skate just in case someone got hurt. Other times he was in charge of the Zamboni, his favourite job. And if he was really unlucky, he was the guy who removed and reset hockey nets so the person who _was_ on the Zamboni could resurface the ice. Regardless, Jack loved working here. It was his other favourite place right next to working with the kids on the snowboarding hills. He loved kids.

Jack knocked on the door to North's office.

"Come in!" A deep Russian accent called out.

Jack pushed his way into the room. "Good morning, North."

"Jack! Just man I wanted to see!" North said cheerily. "I got call from local university." He folded his hands in front of him. "By no means am I running business, but they wanted recommendation of somebody who could work ice in their rink."

"And?" Jack asked, his heart stuttering in his chest.

"I told them, Jack Frost was man for job!" North said happily. "They expect you around noon today at Burgess University. Just on other side of town. I have directions." He slid a piece of paper across the desk. Jack lifted the directions, his eyes wide.

"I-I'm honoured." Jack said, feeling ecstatic. "Truly, thank you so much, North."

"You very welcome, Jack." North smiled. "Keep doing good work. Rink seven for you today."

Jack nodded. "All right. I'll fix it up and I'll head out."

North nodded. "Come see me before you go."

"I will." Jack grabbed the keys for rink seven and slid from the room. He'd barely gotten five paces from North's door when he jumped into the air with an overjoyed scream. A new job! He didn't look forward to going back to a school of all places, but he figured it was worth a go. He also figured that if a university had an ice rink, it would be awfully prestigious. He ran a hand through his hair as he unlocked rink seven, wondering if the place would be full of snoots. He'd just have to avoid looking people in the eye.

Jack changed out of his normal sneakers and into his ice boots, ones that prevented slipping. He looked the ice over and quickly grabbed a snow shovel. He glanced at the giant clock up by the scoreboard. It read eight-oh-three. He had enough time to fix the ice up for the day, and even then he'd get it done fast enough to do it three times before he had to leave. The ice never really needed all that much care here. North knew what he was doing, as did Jack and everyone else who worked here.

"All right..." Jack stepped out onto the ice and began shovelling the snow off. And thus began his ordinary day, turned extraordinary.

...

She looked at her clock, wondering if it was serious. It couldn't be eight thirty in the morning. It couldn't be.

She reached for her phone and flicked it on, reading the same time there as well. Her watch? Same way.

"Oh shoot..." She whispered.

Because for the first time ever, Toothiana Frazee was late for school.

She leapt out of bed so fast, her legs got tangled in the blankets. She hit the ground with a thud, her dark hair a tangled mess on the top of her head. When she finally freed herself and threw the blankets back on her bed, Toothiana was frantic. She dressed quickly, yanking a brush through her hair and grabbing an apple out of her refrigerator before tearing from her small dorm room and locking the door behind her. She ate the apple as she ran down the stairs, trying not to trip. She tore through the front hall, receiving a glare from the receptionist (yes, her dorm building actually had one) and out the door into the winter wonderland beyond.

She didn't take notice of the snow, however.

Toothiana rushed across the campus of Burgess University. It was a massive school, and it took only the best of the best. Anything you could ever want to learn, you could learn it in the halls of Burgess University at one of six campuses in the peaceful city. All six were on a single, massive city block. The one Toothiana was attending was focused on medical arts and sciences. This was where you went to become a neurosurgeon. However Toothiana was pursuing a more muted career: dentistry. To many of the students who were studying to be doctors, she was a sort of laughing stock. Who, after all, came to the most prestigious university next to Harvard to study _dentistry_ of all things?

Toothiana didn't care, however. She worked hard to get here, and she was determined to get a good education. To be brutally honest, her parents, both doctors, didn't even know dentistry was what she was pursuing. They thought she was studying to be a doctor. She still hadn't broken the news to them. She hoped to work up the courage someday.

But why a dentist over a doctor? Toothiana wasn't quite sure she chose it either. All she really knew was that she wanted to be different. She didn't want to be like her parents. But at the same time, the medical field fascinated her. It was only after she found herself picking a piece of a chewed Lego block from a child's mouth with tweezers while working at the daycare did she realize she loved teeth. And thus, she pursued dentistry under her parent's nose.

Oh what they would do if they found out...

Toothiana tore into the school, checking her watch for the time. Eight fifty-two. She was all right. She rushed to her locker, thankfully getting it open on the first try. She removed her biology textbook and yanked off her blue jacket and yellow scarf, shoving them into her locker and shutting the door, tearing through the halls to get to the lecture room.

She arrived with three minutes to spare.

"Good morning, Professor Hampton," Toothiana greeted.

"Good morning, Tooth." The elderly man said, his moustache twitching into a smile. "You're a little bit late, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I slept in." Tooth gasped, collapsing into her seat at the front. "There was an interesting show on television last night and I stayed up to watch it."

"I hope it was well worth it?"

"Yeah. I learned a lot." Tooth reached into her backpack and pulled out a few of her notebooks and a pen as students began trickling in. The bell rang just seconds later, signalling the end of her conversation with Professor Hampton. The two of them got along really well, so well in fact that Tooth thought her biology professor a fatherly figure. Yes, she was a bit of a teacher's pet, but she didn't care.

As the second bell rang announcing the start of class, Tooth settled into her seat, her pen poised to take in every little piece of information her professor could give out.

...

Jack pulled into Burgess University around eleven thirty. He stuffed the last of his lunch into his mouth and stepped out of the car. He had to admit, the campus was beautiful. There were several buildings, some bigger than others. The medical arts and sciences building had to be the largest though. Jack figured he'd avoid that at all costs. Hospitals gave him the twitches. Call it paranoia, but there was always a sense of unease in the place, like a deadly strain of Ebola had just been released through the halls and the doctors weren't saying anything, less they start up a panic. Jack didn't like them.

Jack headed towards the 'faculty building', figuring that was where he'd meet the headmaster. He slipped inside and cringed as a blast of heat hit him in the face. Was this a school building or a rain forest? He glanced around, seeing the secretary sitting at her desk wearing a thin t-shirt. She was obviously comfortable. Jack wasn't. He felt like he was melting.

"Excuse me," he said, approaching the desk.

The secretary looked up, her cheeks immediately flushing slightly pink. Jack ignored it.

"I'm looking for the headmaster. I was called in to look after the ice."

"Y-Yes of course." She reached for the phone, her eyes dancing across his face almost hungrily. Eventually, she snapped back to whatever she was doing and quickly dialled a number. A ping echoed through the building and probably in the grounds and other buildings as well.

"Headmaster to the faculty building front desk, headmaster to the faculty building front desk." She said before hanging up the phone. "He'll be here in a few minutes."

Jack nodded and headed over to the chairs by the plate glass windows. He stared out at the winter wonderland beyond, wishing he was still out there in the fresh, cool snow and not baking in this unnatural indoor heat. He had just been about to give in and pull off his jacket when a tall man stepped up to the front desk. He was wearing a black suit and his hair was neat and tidy. The secretary pointed in Jack's direction, making the boy stand up.

The man turned and smiled. "Jack Frost was it?" He had a slight British accent.

"Yes sir." Jack said, nodding.

"Good good, I'm the headmaster Kozmotis Pitchiner." He held out his hand and Jack shook it. "Most just call me Pitch. Feel free to do so."

"All right, I'm Jack Frost. Feel free to call me Jack." He couldn't help but say. He immediately felt his face heat up, embarrassed to be making wise ass comments to a headmaster, someone who could potentially be giving him a job in the future.

But to his surprise, Pitch chuckled. "All right then Jack. Come with me."

Pitch led Jack back outside much to his relief. They walked across the campus until they reached the 'athletics center' of the campus. Jack was once again separated from the cold air he loved so much and bathed in scorching heat.

"Is this where you keep the ice?" Jack couldn't help but ask.

"Yes, but it's in a different area." Pitch stated, leading him through a set of double doors.

"It's awfully warm in here considering you have an ice rink."

"Our faculty and students prefer a comfortable environment for their studies."

_If by comfortable you mean simulated summer vacation, then all right_, Jack thought to himself, resisting the urge to voice it.

"Here we are," Pitch said, pushing through another set of double doors and into an area that could pass for an ice rink to the untrained eye, but looked more like a slush puddle to Jack. The temperature was around the freezing mark, much too warm for proper ice production.

"What do you think?" Pitch asked.

"Um..." Jack crouched by a door to the ice and ran his finger across it, cringing as his nail flaked off small pieces. "It's uh...a mess."

Pitch frowned in confusion.

"The temperature in here is far too warm to produce decent ice." Jack stated. "It flakes off. It's not hard at all. Get metal skates going around here, and you'll have a slush puddle in no time."

"So you're suggesting?"

"Drop the temperature a few degrees. Sure, maybe the students and faculty won't be as comfortable, but I don't think you want people who are skating to break their ankles either."

"Very well then. Do what you will." Pitch said, nodding. "The hockey team begins practice next week. Will it be ready by then?"

"I can manage."

"Could you come by in the afternoons to look after the ice?"

"I'm already working two jobs, but I think I can work something out."

Pitch nodded. "All right, it's all yours."

Jack smiled. "Thank you for this opportunity."

"Thank you for coming." Pitch stated. "Alert me if there are any issues."

"Any times you have in mind for me to show up and leave at?"

"Twelve to five?"

Jack nodded. "All right, I'll arrange that."

"What other jobs do you have, may I ask?" Pitch asked.

"I teach children how to snowboard Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturdays. I work for North on Thursdays."

Pitch nodded. "Very well then. I will come back to see how you're doing in a few hours."

Jack nodded as the headmaster turned and left. As soon as he was gone, Jack turned to the ice and sighed heavily.

There was _a lot _of work that needed to be done.

...

As much as Tooth liked teeth, there was one other thing she loved enough to give teeth a run for their money.

Kickboxing.

Yes, Tooth loved it. She joined the kickboxing club at school and every Tuesday and Thursday at four, she headed to the athletics center with a gym bag slung over her shoulder. Humming along to her favourite tunes that were playing through her iPod, she pushed through the double doors heading to the athletic facilities. She passed the swimming pool, she passed the weight room. A cool blast of air hit her as she walked past the ice rink. This spot had never been so cold before. She turned her head to look through the glass window into the rink, and saw a young man with messy brown hair scraping snow off the top of the ice with a shovel. She didn't think much of it and continued on until she reached the gym. She pushed her way in and changed into her shorts and t-shirt in the change room before joining her peers in their warm-ups.

After about ten minutes, the coach stepped into the room. He called out movements for everyone to follow. Tooth followed them perfectly, smiling as a sweat started out on her brow.

The time passed quickly, and soon Tooth was changing back into her normal clothes, a bright smile on her face. She always felt good after physical exercise. She popped her ear buds back in and hit shuffle on her iPod. She grinned as her favourite song rushed into her ears. It flooded through her, making her laugh. She danced down the hall, not noticing the brown haired boy stepping out from the ice rink.

Her elbow collided heavily with something hard. She heard a cry of pain and she gasped, instantly yanking her headphones out and allowing them to dangle down her chest.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't see you!" She cried. She rubbed her elbow, staring at the brown haired man. He was cringing, a hand over his mouth.

He removed his hand, making Tooth gasp at the sight of the blood pouring from his lips.

"Oh no!" She cried. "I'm so sorry, let me see..." She pulled his hands away and reached over to peel his lips back, checking for any signs of trauma.

"What are you doing?!" He cried, swatting her hand away.

"I'm making sure your teeth are all right!" Tooth stated.

"What are you, my dentist?" He cringed, wiping the blood off his lip.

"Well I'm studying to be one." Tooth said innocently.

"Okay, okay, so that gives you the rights to poke your fingers in my mouth." He grumbled.

"Please?" Tooth begged. "I hurt you. Please let me see."

He sighed. "All right, all right." He opened his mouth.

Tooth checked everything she could, feeling her cheeks flushing. He had such pretty teeth... So straight and well looked after...

"Looks like it's just a split lip." Tooth said, still blushing slightly. "It should heal well, but you might want to rinse with salt water later."

"Yeah, all right."

"I'm really sorry." Tooth bowed her head.

"Don't worry about it."

She looked up, meeting his bright brown eyes. They were filled with so much warmth that her heart instantly melted. "My name's Toothiana. Everyone calls me Tooth though."

He smiled. "I'm Jack. Everyone calls me Jack."

Tooth laughed.

Jack continued smiling. "Anyway, I've got to check in with the headmaster. Maybe I'll see you around."

"Yeah." Tooth said. "See you."

And Jack turned and headed down the hallway, disappearing through the double doors.


	2. Chapter 2: Surprise Meetings

**A/N: Please note that I have absolutely NO IDEA how to snowboard, nor have I ever been taught ^^ When Jack teaches people how to snowboard, I'm honestly just guessing at what you have to do in order to snowboard XD so if Jack's tips don't work for you, it's my fault XD **

**Also, my version of the snowboarding hill has several hills lol. The practice one is bigger than a drainage ditch, but not by much XD I doubt they exist, but if they do, bonus for me XD**

**Anyway, a big thank you to all of you are reading the story ^^ if you are a guest, please don't review until you've made an account ^^ I would honestly prefer it that way I can PROPERLY thank you and answer your questions if you have any ^^**

Peppermint Winter

Chapter 2: Surprise Meetings

"Okay, are you ready?" Jack asked the child he was holding steadily under the arms.

"Ah huh..." The child said nervously.

"Okay, remember, bend your knees and balance."

The child nodded.

Jack released him and he slid slowly down the small training hill. He stayed on his feet, but fell down when he reached the bottom.

The child's mother picked him back up and helped him undo the snowboard. Jack quickly turned to the next kid who barely needed his help anymore. She slid off down the hill confidently and without much thought. She'd be on the bunny hill pretty soon, and the mere thought made Jack smile.

Jack ran a few other children down the little hill before one of his co workers came by to take his place. Jack bid him a quick farewell and headed towards the chalet.

"Off to that university now Jack?" His boss asked.

"Yeah. Thanks a lot for compromising with me." Jack said, feeling immense gratitude for his boss. He knew there were many who wouldn't take a sudden change in hours too well. At least Jack wasn't getting overwhelmed with the whole lot of it. His car however, would be. He'd be using up more gas than he used to.

Jack headed out to the parking lot and shoved his snowboard and snow gear in to the back of his car before jumping into the front seat. He drove away from the snow hill, mourning the loss of the time he could be spending with children. But he'd already made a deal with his workplaces. And Pitch was offering him almost twice what he was making at Snow Mountain. And though it hurt him like nothing he'd felt before, he really, really needed the money.

It was thoughts like that that made him wish the world weren't so cruel.

...

Tooth checked her watch, sighing as she realized she still had another full hour until her next class. She'd spent the last two hours reviewing her chemistry notes from today, because Professor Roland did a terrible job explaining things. She always had to consult the internet after one of his lectures.

And now, after two hours, she was burnt out. She had compounds and formulae dancing through her head, making it impossible to think anymore. She glanced outside, seeing snow falling softly past her window. Smiling to herself, Tooth stood up, closing her laptop and leaving her chemistry notes where they were before sliding on her boots and pulling on her jacket. She placed her fluffy earmuffs over her ears and pushed the door closed behind her, locking it. She took the elevator down and headed past the front desk and out into the falling snow beyond. She smiled, feeling snowflakes tickling her cheeks as they melted against her warm skin.

She had walked halfway across the compound when she saw a very familiar mop of brown hair heading towards the athletics center.

"Jack!" She called, racing after him.

He turned, his brown eyes mildly confused until he recognized her.

"Oh hey." He said, facing her.

"How's your lip?" Tooth asked.

"It's all right. Hurts, but it's all right."

"That's good." She brushed a lock of hair from her face. "So what are you doing back here?"

"I work here now. On the ice." Jack said. "And I'm running a little late, so I have to run."

"Oh, all right. I don't have to go to class for another hour, so mind if I join you?"

"Sure I guess." Jack said with a shrug. Then he turned and continued on his way to the athletics center. Tooth followed him at a jog.

"How long have you been working here for?"

"Yesterday was my first day." Jack replied.

"Oh. Well that explains why I've never seen you before."

Jack shrugged, as if it was no big deal.

"I do remember the last person though. He didn't do much. Mostly flirted with girls. That's why the headmaster got rid of him."

Jack pushed through the door and headed through the halls. "Is that so?"

"Yeah." Tooth said. "As far as I know though, he took pretty good care of the ice."

"No, he didn't." Jack stated, heading through another set of doors and into the long hallway that connected the facilities. "I'm cleaning up his mess right now."

"Wow, really? What did he do?"

"The temperature was too high." Jack explained. "The ice didn't freeze properly. I had to shave a whole inch off the top. I flooded it before I left yesterday. Hopefully it froze properly." He pushed into the ice rink, Tooth right behind him. The cold bit her cheeks, but it made her smile. The air smelled fresh and clear, like an ice rink at the sports facilities. It was...nice.

Jack stepped towards the ice and pushed the door open, reaching down to touch it with a finger. He nodded and stood up straight. "Perfect." He said.

Tooth couldn't help but reach down beside him to touch the ice. It was cold and smooth. She figured all ice felt like that.

Jack swapped his sneakers out for a pair of boots and stepped out onto the ice carrying a shovel. Tooth sat down on the bleachers and watched him work, fascinated by the way he bent down to examine any imperfections in the ice. Tooth wasn't quite sure what he was looking for per se, but he seemed to know exactly what he was doing.

He was scraping away at the snow when Tooth realized she had to leave. She stood up and called out a goodbye, to which he gave her a wave before getting back to work. Tooth headed out of the ice rink, wondering just how old he was. Jack seemed like he was her age, but if that was the case, why wasn't he in college? Or did he already graduate? Tooth figured that would be a question to ask later.

...

Jack worked hard that day. He was driving the Zamboni for the second time, resurfacing the new layer of ice to the rink when Pitch came in to see how he was doing. Jack finished his round then parked the vehicle before heading over to the headmaster.

"Hello." He greeted.

"Hello, Jack. I came to see how the ice was doing."

"Much better." Jack stated. "See for yourself. It's pretty much ready now. One more layer of ice and it'll be ready for skating."

Pitch nodded. "If it's ready, we can open up the rink for students to skate on tomorrow. Would you be opposed to that?"

"Not at all." Jack said, smiling. "Ice is meant to be enjoyed, not looked at. Unless of course it's an ice _sculpture_, but that's a whole different ballgame..." He trailed off, realizing he'd yet again cracked another joke in front of his new boss.

Pitch however, barely seemed to notice. "Of course, there's also a hockey club that uses the ice."

"When do they practice?" Jack asked, mildly relieved, yet strangely disappointed at the lack of a laugh.

"Tuesdays and Thursdays."

Jack nodded. "Does it start up again next week then?"

"The hockey club has been open since the start of first term."

"Whoa," Jack shuddered.

"What's wrong?" Pitch asked.

"Nothing. I'm just amazed that they were able to skate on the ice." Jack ran a hand through his hair.

"Fair enough. Well, I'll leave you to it." He smiled. "And by the way, you have Sunday's off."

"Oh. Great." Jack shrugged. "Thanks a lot."

"And I will be paying you every Saturday, including tomorrow for the work you've done over the last few days."

Jack nodded. "Okay."

Pitch took one last look at the gleaming ice, a satisfied look washing across his face. "Well, I must take my leave now, Jack. The hockey team normally meets around four, the practices going until five. Sometimes later. Will that be a problem?"

"No, sir."

"All right, I will be seeing you later, Jack."

Jack nodded as Pitch left the rink. He turned back towards the ice and smiled at his work. One more layer, and the ice would be ready. Anyone could skate on it now. It wasn't a half slush puddle like it used to be.

As Jack flooded the ice again, he couldn't help but glance at the bleachers where Tooth had sat just hours before. She went to school here, but she wasn't snobby or snooty like he'd expected. She was almost an enigma of sorts. He was curious about her, especially since she actually rushed up to him just to say hello.

He smiled to himself, stepping off the ice to watch the water freeze. Maybe he could consider Tooth a friend. It usually took him awhile to give someone that status, but she actually spoke to him, unlike most. He knew many people probably referred to him as 'the Zamboni driver' which was about as degrading as calling someone 'servant'. Jack knew his job was low status, but he didn't care. He just loved ice. Ice, snow, and cold weather. It's what he liked to do, and it's what he wanted to do. Under no circumstances would he be happy sitting behind a desk doing paperwork. He didn't care how much a job paid. He just wanted to enjoy whatever it was he was doing. It just so happened that caring for ice rinks _was_ that job.

Jack reached down to touch the ice again, making sure it was frozen. Then he hopped back on the Zamboni and drove across the ice, cleaning it one final time until it was skated on again.

...

Saturday had to be Tooth's favourite day in the entire week. It was the day after three days of nothing but school. She could finally kick back, relax...

And wake up at the crack of dawn to be at Molly's Daycare Center for eight in the morning. This was the reason she liked Saturdays. The daycare. She spent the whole day there, which she loved. She could do the same thing on Tuesday as well. Children were her favourite. She liked them more than teeth. She worked with children aged five to ten, and yes, some of them were troublemakers, but she didn't love them any less.

Tooth was out of the dorm building by seven that morning. She knew it would take her around half an hour to get to work, but she didn't mind getting there early, especially if she was feeling perky. She was excited, because she had just received her first promotion. She was actually going to go on a fieldtrip with some of the kids! Normally Saturdays was a mild day at the daycare due to the fact that it was a weekend, but it was for that reason that this particular fieldtrip was placed on Saturday. Many parents had signed their children up for ski and snowboard lessons at Snow Mountain, the most popular skiing area in Burgess. Technically it was just outside of Burgess, but that didn't matter. The point was, Tooth was going! She couldn't ski for the life of her, but oh how she wanted to watch the kids try. She wanted to see them succeed where she failed.

Tooth arrived at the daycare with twenty minutes to spare. She headed into the staff rooms where she was greeted by Molly herself, the middle aged woman who started the daycare in the first place. It had quickly become one of the best daycares in town.

Tooth hung up her jacket and headed into the room where the children waited. There was only two or three of them right now, but she knew that by nine o'clock, there would be at least twenty of them, all ready to go on the trip to learn how to ski and snowboard. And the best part was they'd do it every Saturday until the ski hills closed. Tooth really hoped they'd have fun.

Her co worker and friend Tatiana was already well into her work. Tooth knew she was always here at the crack of dawn to open the doors with Molly.

"Good morning, Tooth." Tatiana greeted, the laugh lines in her face becoming more obvious as she smiled. "How is school going?"

"Well, I hope." Tooth said honestly.

"Anything new?"

"Does a new ice boy count?"

"Ice boy?" Tatiana raised an eyebrow. "Care to explain?"

"He only just started working on the ice rink at my school." Tooth explained. "I've seen him a few times."

"What's his name?"

"Jack."

"Ah. Nice name. Is he just as nice?"

"He works hard." Tooth said, shrugging it off. "Other than him though, no, nothings new."

Tatiana smiled brightly as a parent brought her twin siblings in. Tooth watched them kiss their mother goodbye and run off to play with the toys.

One by one, children came in, all squealing with excitement and happiness about today's coming events. Tooth and Molly kept track of the children who were coming, and when the bus arrived, they counted them out once more, making sure all twenty one children were there. Tatiana stayed behind to look after the few who weren't going. She didn't seem to mind. Tooth knew she wasn't a fan of cold weather.

The bus ride was noisy and almost irritating. A large group of kids all singing _The Song that Never Ends_ eventually went from endearing to holy-crap-please-make-it-stop-now but Tooth kept her cool, continuing to smile. She played a hand clap game with a little girl who never had anyone to play with for some reason. It was probably because she preferred being alone, but Tooth had a sort of attachment to her. Her name was Arietta, but she preferred to be called Ari.

The children started shouting in excitement at the sight of the ski hills. Tooth smiled, able to see several people tearing down the hills skilfully on skis or snowboards.

The children piled off the bus, grabbing each other's hands so they could stay together properly. Tooth took Ari's hand and the kids set off for the chalet to check in for their first lessons. Rental equipment was handed out to those who needed it, and Tooth watched many of them bouncing around with excitement. Several boys were shouting at the top of their lungs about how snowboarding was nothing compared to tobogganing, because you had to stand up, which made it a lot harder.

Molly called for silence as their instructors stepped towards them. One of them lowered his furry hood, revealing a mop of messy brown hair. He was unmistakable to Tooth.

"JACK?!" Tooth cried.

He glanced towards the voice, his eyebrows shooting under his bangs in surprised. "Oh hey, Tooth. I didn't expect to see you."

"Yeah, no kidding." She stated. "What are you doing here?"

"I work here." Jack said simply. Then he turned to the kids, grinning broadly, beautiful teeth shining. "All right, who wants to learn how to snowboard?"

The kids instantly started jumping in the air.

And Tooth let them go. Jack worked with them, filled with enthusiasm as he showed them how to hold themselves on their boards. The skiers on the other hand went with another instructor. Molly was watching over those ones, realizing Tooth was actually familiar with the snowboard instructor. She smiled as the kids slid down a small hill one by one, getting the feel of their snowboards. And the whole time, Jack's face was lit up like a Christmas tree. It made Tooth smile. He loved kids just as much as she did.

After a few hours, half of the kids were shivering from the cold. Some of them were crying because they were shaking so hard.

A lunch break was called and all of the kids headed into the chalet where they could warm up. It was while they were doing so that Jack approached Tooth, smiling slightly.

"You work at a daycare, huh?" He asked.

"Oh, yeah. Just part time though." She smiled, looking out over the kids.

"They're great." Jack said, his expression just as warm. "All of them. It almost makes me wish I was their age again."

"How old are you anyway?" Tooth asked, frowning slightly.

"Twenty-one." Jack stated, stuffing his hands into his pocket. "Mind if I ask how old you are?"

"Same as you, only a year younger." Tooth said with a smile.

"Fair enough." He glanced at his watch. "Anyway, I gotta go."

"Do you have another lesson?" Tooth asked.

"No, I only do mornings now. My afternoons are at the university." Jack said simply.

"How many jobs do you have right now?"

"Uh, two and a half now I guess. I work here, at the university, and Thursday mornings at North Pole Sports Center."

"Don't you go to school?"

"Nah." Jack shrugged. "School's not my thing. I couldn't handle sitting in a desk. I left within the month."

"So you dropped out."

"I...yeah." Jack shrugged. "It's not that much of a big deal. I'd rather be out working in an ice rink and making a living for myself doing what I love than spinning my wheels at school."

"And may I ask what you plan to do in the future?" She raised an eyebrow. "You don't seriously think you're still going to be teaching kids and working in ice rinks all your life, do you?"

Jack looked at her, as if she just didn't get it.

"You do, don't you?" She said, realizing he'd been serious.

"Yeah. I do. That's the plan. I want to live doing what I love." He smiled slightly. "Who knows? Maybe it's not as economically friendly, but I don't care how much I make, as long as I'm getting by." He glanced at his watch again. "Now I really have to be off. I'll see you around, Tooth." Then he turned without waiting for a goodbye in return.

And Tooth stood there, watching his brown mop disappear out the front door, feeling an immense worry for him, even if she wasn't quite sure why.

...

The skating rink at the university opened today, as was arranged by Jack and Pitch the day before. To his surprise, there was a group of college kids waiting outside the rink when he arrived. He greeted them with a hello and unlocked the door, stepping inside. They followed him into the rink and began pulling on their skates. They waited for Jack to give them the okay before heading out onto the ice. He watched them, a small smile on his face as they enjoyed the ice he looked after and created over the last two days. This was his favourite part.

Students trickled in and out over the course of an hour. At one, Jack ordered them off the ice so he could resurface it before allowing them to head back on. He did the same at two o'clock, then three o'clock.

And they never stopped enjoying the ice.

Jack occasionally took the time to think about Tooth and what he'd told her back at the chalet. He wondered if she thought anything less of him just because he was a college dropout. Maybe he should've thought about what he was about to say before he said it. Oh well. It was too late now.

Pitch stopped by around three thirty to see how everything was going. Jack gave him a grin before turning back to the ice.

"Seems like you did well, Jack." Pitch stated, watching one teenage boy zip across the ice on his hockey skates.

"I hope so." Jack said, smiling. "They're having fun, so it seems I did all right."

"Not many people liked this ice rink." Pitch said. "To be honest, I was thinking about tearing it down. But I decided to give it one last shot. So I called my old friend North, and here you are."

"You knew North?" Jack asked.

"Family friend, actually." Pitch stated.

"Cool." Jack glanced at the clock, waiting for the time to tick to four o'clock for the next resurfacing.

"Hope you don't mind, but I made a schedule for rink operation." Pitch removed a piece of paper from a folder he'd been carrying. "I was thinking opening it from noon until five, Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, but on Tuesdays and Thursdays because of the hockey team, open it from twelve until three so you have an hour to prepare it for the players."

"All right. That works." Jack said.

"I believe I mentioned yesterday that they sometimes practice longer than an hour, so you may need to stay later than normal."

"That won't be a problem," Jack promised.

Pitch nodded and smiled. "All right then. Come see me when you're finished here. I'll post this schedule on the window for you."

"Thank you." Jack said. "Really."

"No, Jack, thank you for coming." Pitch smiled and retreated away.

And Jack turned back to the ice, feeling about as happy as a kid on Christmas morning.

...

Tooth got back to the university just after five. As she headed across the gradually dimming campus, she caught sight of Jack walking away from the athletics center. She opened her mouth to call out, but he raised his head just enough to meet her eyes. He turned away quickly, almost nervously. Tooth didn't know what to think of it, so she didn't say anything.

She kept walking.

Tooth was at the front door of the dorm building when she finally turned back just in time to see an old car turning out of the parking lot.

He'd said he'd rather be doing what he loved than being in school. Tooth bit her lip, wondering if that was the best plan for anybody. But regardless, isn't that what many people did? Tooth was in school to study so she could do what she loved, and that was teeth. She wanted to be a dentist because she loved teeth. She had a feeling there wasn't any college or university course that catered to working at an ice rink or teaching children how to snowboard. And those things were what Jack loved to do. Who was she to question his motives? No, he was best left alone.

She turned and headed into the dormitories, hitting the button for the elevator. Two first year girls stepped through the doors at that moment, talking about something Tooth didn't care about.

Until she heard them mention the skating rink.

"...should've seen the guy on the thing."

"What thing?" Her friend asked.

"You know, the thing that goes over the ice and stuff."

Tooth rolled her eyes. Did they not realize it was called a _Zamboni,_ or more technically an _ice resurfacer_?

"Oh yeah, I think I know what you mean."

The elevator dinged as the doors open. Tooth got on with the giggling girls and pressed the button for the sixth floor. They hit the button for the fifth.

"He was actually _really_ cute!"

"Was he?

"Yeah!"

"What did he look like?"

"Like the hottest thing since...I don't know what!"

Tooth gritted her teeth. The fifth floor couldn't come fast enough.

"Anyway, the rink is open now. It's closed on Sundays, but it's open every other day of the week at noon. You _have_ to come with me on Monday! You will _love _him!"

The elevator finally dinged again and the two girls stepped out. Tooth spammed the door close button, listening to the girls giggle and talk about Jack as they headed down the hall. She didn't know why, but it made her very, very angry.


	3. Chapter 3: Penny for the Thoughts

**A/N: I've been very distracted as of late XD my recently acquired Harvest Moon game (Harvest Moon: A New Beginning) is taking up my entire schedule when I'm not doing anything else XD I had to tear myself away from the game in order to update my stories XD What can I say? I'm motivated XD I've gotta unlock Amir! (He's the Bachelor I like XD)**

**If you are a guest, don't waste your time reviewing ^^ if you have any questions, make an account and ask me ^^ otherwise, they will not get answered ^^**

Peppermint Winter

Chapter 3: Penny for the Thoughts

Just as he did every Sunday, Jack took the liberty of sleeping in for as long as he wanted to. Normally he couldn't get past nine in the morning. He was simply unable to properly sleep in. However, nine was much better than his standard seven.

This morning, however, he managed to stay in bed until ten. He dragged himself out from beneath his covers, yawning widely as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. His brown eyes scanned his two room apartment (a main area, which tripled as a kitchen, living room and bedroom, and a bathroom) as he remembered he had yet to pay this month's rent. Bunnymund had obviously given him a few days grace, but Jack couldn't push his luck. He had to give him the money he owed soon enough. Luckily for him, after receiving his weekly cheque from Snow Mountain and his first paycheque from Pitch, he had just enough to pay rent, and buy groceries for the week.

He now officially felt relieved. He could get by for another month without his landlord breathing down his neck.

Jack heated up leftovers in the microwave from last night's dinner, changing out of his pyjamas as he did so. He'd rather make something fresh for breakfast, (honestly, he hated leftovers with a passion, but he couldn't afford to waste food) but he didn't have anything to make.

He was halfway through breakfast, listening to the small radio which was crackling away in the corner, when a sharp knock jarred him from his stupor. He stood up, quickly swallowing the mouthful of food he was eating and headed for the door. He could already guess who it was. He skipped the peephole, as it was broken anyway, and pulled the door open.

Sure enough, Bunnymund's green eyes bored sharply into his. He raised an eyebrow expectantly.

"I know, I know. Give me a second." Jack said, leaving the door open as he headed into the house. Bunnymund stepped inside and closed the door behind him. Jack could feel the landlord's eyes on his back as he pulled out his wallet and quickly scratched out a cheque to pay for his rent. He handed it to Bunnymund who took it quickly and pocketed it.

"Try not to fall behind, mate." Bunnymund stated. "Believe me, you're the last bloke I want out of this building."

"Really?" Jack grinned. "I always figured I was the worst tenant of all time."

Bunnymund smiled his crooked smirk. "I've had worse. At the very least you're just occasionally late on your payments. At least you're not _always_ late, and ridiculously noisy."

"Do I want to know?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Probably not. Just know, I go easy on ya, mate. Don't fall behind. I don't want any reason to kick you out of here."

"Aww, you care?"

"Rack off, Frost!"

Jack laughed.

Bunnymund gave him a small smile before turning and letting himself out of the apartment. Jack knew Bunnymund was only harsh with him when he needed to be. Sometimes Jack needed a rough shove to get him back on track. Bunnymund was always the one to do it. And to be honest, Jack was eternally grateful to him.

...

Tooth would love to enjoy her free day. She would love to take a Sunday off and just...relax.

But with exams fast approaching, she couldn't afford to slack off. She had more homework than ever, which worried her to no end. What if she never got it done? What if...what if...

Tooth shook her head, getting up out of her desk. She headed for her kitchen and pulled open the fridge, searching for something quick to eat. It was practically empty, making her sigh. Looks like she'd get her break after all. She still had to go shopping.

Tooth grabbed her wallet and shoved her feet into her boots. She picked up her reusable bags and headed out the door. The silence in the halls of the dormitory was striking. Every Sunday morning, the silence was like a thick blanket, and it covered every inch of the place. It helped that Saturday nights were always the day students threw parties. Technically they did that every day, but on Saturday, it was always worse because now they had an excuse to stay up late: No school tomorrow.

So now, everyone was sleeping in. Except for Tooth and everyone else in the dorm who was at the very least _sensible_. They were probably doing their homework like she was.

Tooth hummed along to a song on her iPod, smiling as she headed towards the store. The snow was falling in big fluffy flakes, adding quite the perk to her day. Winter was just amazing.

Tooth pulled out her ear buds as she stepped into the store. She pulled out her list and started her hunt. She was halfway through the dairy section when she nearly bumped into someone.

"Sorry," said, turning towards the person. Then she recognized the hair. "Jack?"

Jack looked up at her. "Oh hey Tooth." Then he turned back towards the cheeses, examining them for a second before turning away. "We're bumping into each other a lot aren't we?"

"Yeah." Tooth laughed. "I guess you're free today too huh?"

"Yeah. I don't have to work on Sundays." Jack stated, grabbing a bag of milk.

"I always figured lots of people did." Tooth replied, grabbing a brick of cheese.

"Not me." Jack ran a hand through his hair. "Honestly, when North found out I was working most days of the week, he told me to keep Sunday's off." He smiled slightly. "It just means that I end up on Snow Mountain anyway."

"Why?" Tooth asked.

"I have one day a week to actually go snowboarding." He said with a smile.

"Cool." Tooth grabbed a carton of eggs along with Jack. "Unfortunately for me by the end of the week I have so much homework, I have no choice but to spend my Sundays doing it."

"Ah." Jack said, his eyes becoming distant.

Tooth watched him for a moment. He didn't say another word, and he kept turning away from her as if he wanted to leave but couldn't bring himself to.

Then she understood.

"Jack, I'm not mad at you for what you told me yesterday." Tooth told him, smiling softly. "About the whole 'doing what you love' thing."

Jack shrugged. "I'm a college dropout. You're in university. Either way, you have a higher degree of respect from society than I do."

"Jack, that's not-"

"Yes it is, Tooth." His brown eyes were sharp, sad. "And you know it. People are looked down on just because of their jobs all the time. They look at a taxi driver and think 'oh they've got nothing better to do with their life, so that's why they're there'. And never once do they give a thought for the driver. They don't realize that the driver _loves_ their job! They don't want to do anything else. And yet, they look at a doctor with such high respect, not realizing that they probably hate every second."

"Not all doctors are like that."

"No, but it sure seems like it sometimes." Jack sighed, leaning heavily on his cart. "Last time I was at a hospital, I swear that doctor was looking at me like I was just another obstacle in his life. I hated it. I actually left because I couldn't take it anymore. Plus I hate hospitals anyway, so yeah."

"What were you in for?" Tooth asked, frowning. "It could've been trouble if you left."

"I had the _wonderful_ pleasure of getting knocked unconscious by a tree while snowboarding when I was sixteen."

"You shouldn't have left then!" Tooth gasped. "You could've had a concussion!"

"Nope." Jack stated. "I was fine. I had a headache, but I was all right. Anyway, the point is that I don't see purpose in grinding through life. I refuse to do so, and that's why I left." He stood up straight again.

"I-I understand, Jack." Tooth said, biting her lip.

"Yeah?" He sounded a little bitter at this point, but he ran a hand down his face, sighing as he calmed himself down.

"My parents don't even know I'm studying to be a dentist."

"Really?" Jack frowned. "What do they think you're doing then?"

"They're both doctors." She said. "But I'd rather look after teeth. I like teeth."

Jack chuckled. "That's kind of an odd thing to say, don't you think?"

Tooth shrugged, her cheeks flushing slightly. "Yeah, maybe. But it's true. I like teeth, that's why I want to look after them."

Jack smiled. "All right, maybe you do understand then."

Tooth smiled back, seeing his beautiful teeth sparkling in her direction.

His smile faded. "Well if you ever feel like getting away from Sunday homework, you can always learn to ski or something." Jack said quietly, averting his gaze.

"Are you inviting me to Snow Mountain with you?" Tooth asked, feeling her cheeks grow warm.

Jack shrugged, becoming very engrossed in a box of crackers.

"I can't." Tooth said. "I'd like to, but I have way too much homework, Jack."

"I expected as much..." He murmured. "Anyway, I'm pretty much done here, so I'll see you tomorrow I guess."

Tooth nodded. "All right. See you, Jack."

Jack gave her a weak smile and headed down one of the other aisles. Tooth watched his brown hair turn at the end and she felt herself blushing.

_See you tomorrow?!_ She thought, her mind spinning.

...

Jack didn't see Tooth the next day.

He went to the university and worked the ice for five hours, watching students skate around. He noticed that a lot of them were female, and they were constantly looking at him. It pissed him off, but there wasn't much he could do about it.

As he closed up the rink for the day that Monday, he assumed Tooth had once again, been busy. That was fine and dandy and all, but it made Jack worry. He kept himself awake the night before thinking about asking her to go to Snow Mountain with him. What had he been thinking? There had just been something about that smile that enchanted him. It was...pretty. She was pretty.

Wait, what?

Jack shook himself, heading across the campus to his car. Either way, Tooth was different. Many girls ogled him. Tooth didn't. She stood out from the crowd. She was..._different_.

And as Jack drove for home, his mind was turning over Tooth, wondering why she hadn't come to the rink today.

...

Tuesday was an easy day for Tooth. As much as she really needed to go home and study, she had a job to take care of too.

She was back at the daycare with Tatiana and another co worker by the name of Mary. They had around thirty kids bouncing around the room at seven that morning, all of them awaiting the call to be driven to school. One by one, drivers came in, called out their charges, and children slowly began to filter out of the room, leaving it quiet and solemn.

Tooth sat down in a chair, breathing a sigh of relief. With all of the kids at school, Tooth would be reassigned to a younger group with Tatiana. Either that, if there was enough staff on hand, they'd simply sit and wait for a few hours until the kids came back from school around three.

"So tell me, how's the ice boy doing?" Tatiana asked, smiling slightly.

"Who, Jack?" Tooth stared at the carpet beneath her feet. "He's all right I think. I didn't see him yesterday."

"I heard from Molly that he was the instructor at Snow Mountain." Tatiana stated.

"Oh. Yeah. He was." Tooth ran a hand through her hair. "To be honest, I was really surprised. I thought he only worked the ice at my school. I didn't think he had other jobs too."

Tatiana nodded.

Molly poked her head into the room and smiled. "Tatiana, Mary, I need you upstairs with the little ones. Tooth, can I get you to do the cleaning here?"

"Sure." Tooth said with a nod as Tatiana and Mary left the room.

Now alone, Tooth picked up the feather duster and began cleaning off the surfaces. She left no object unturned. She honestly hated cleaning with a passion, but when it came down to it, cleaning a room so children didn't get sick was well worth the effort.

As she worked, she couldn't help but think about Jack. She felt bad about not going to see him yesterday, but she had a lot of work to do. She'd been assigned a whole new project, and on top of that she needed to study. Exams were next week. The mere thought made her heart race. She always got stressed out around exam time. She knew that if she didn't get at least an eighty average for the semester, she wouldn't be allowed back next year. At Burgess University, marks were everything. It was the reason many students didn't graduate. Tooth was determined to do so.

Tatiana and Mary joined her once again around three. Tooth kept glancing at her watch, biting her lip nervously. Kickboxing was happening again today. And maybe, if she was lucky, she'd get to talk to Jack before she went.

Sarah, another daycare worker showed up twenty minutes late, her face flushed with anxiety.

"I'm so sorry, Tooth. I got caught up on the highway." She said, sincerely sorry that Tooth had to stay longer than normal.

"It's all right. I'll see you guys later." Tooth said with a smile. She said farewell to the kids and headed out of the room, grabbing her jacket and changing from her shoes to her boots. She always left a pair of her sneakers for the daycare in the winter months.

Tooth walked back towards her university. She popped her headphones in once again and hummed along to the song, her footsteps matching the rhythm.

She arrived at the university with ten minutes to spare. She headed straight for the athletics center, her heart pounding in excitement at the thought of seeing Jack again. As she felt the cool air coming from the ice rink, she smiled, turning to look through the window. Her heart sagged in disappointment at the sight of her school hockey team tearing up the ice during their practice. She should've known the team would start playing again soon. Jack would probably still be there, but she couldn't say hello until practice was over. Besides, she only had a few minutes left to get to the gym.

Her eyes scanned the sidelines and she smiled, seeing the mop of brown hair sitting in the stands. He looked bored, yet interested as he watched the players skate across the ice.

And Tooth moved on, leaving Jack and the hockey team to the ice.

...

There were many sounds Jack enjoyed listening to. He liked the sound of a well-played musical instrument, and he liked the sound of the wind through the trees. He liked the sounds of birds chirping and the sound of a heavy rain.

But nothing compared to the sound of a hockey game.

The sound of skates slicing scraping across the ice, the clash of hard wood as it flicked the puck, the sound the black rubber made when it smashed into the boards. It was the sound of excitement, the sound of competition. It was the sound of a group of people getting together to pit their teams against each other in a battle for supremacy. But most of all, it was the sound of ice being enjoyed. To Jack, it was satisfying watching people cut grooves in his perfectly manicured ice.

The ice, however, always took one hell of a beating.

Half an hour into the practice, Jack had to call for a time out so he could run the Zamboni across the ice again. The players and their coaches didn't mind. They'd been shredding the ice to pieces for the last half hour. Skating got difficult when the ice was uneven. Besides, Jack knew that there was nothing more satisfying than being the first to skate on fresh, clean ice.

He parked the Zamboni and waited a few minutes for the ice to completely freeze over while the coaches talked strategy. Finally, they looked over at him, waiting for the go ahead. Jack gave them a nod and held his hand out towards the ice.

And the practice began once more.

Jack climbed back to the top of the bleachers, staring down at the players as they ran mock manoeuvres and tried to knock pucks past their goalies. He watched the lines that emerged from the skates, showing where the players had been moments before. They were like footprints. The marks the blades left told a story in the ice, writing out the entirety of the game in jumbled letters not many could understand. Jack however, had spent enough time with the ice to be able to understand the language. He knew what the marks looked like if someone fell. He knew what they looked like if a player stopped on a dime, or took a sharp turn. He could just tell.

Around five, the coaches called their players in one last time. Then they began to pack up. Jack smiled and stood up, jumping down the bleachers until he reached the concrete below once again. The team left the rink to remove their skates and head on home, but Jack once again fired up the Zamboni. He was half finished when he saw her walk in. He forced himself to focus on the ice in front of him, trying not to be distracted by the girl who was watching his every movement. He didn't even think she stayed this long after school.

Jack drove the Zamboni back to its parking spot and climbed off, only to turn and see Tooth stepping towards him, smiling brightly.

"Hey, Jack." She greeted.

"Hey." Jack gave her a nod.

"I guess hockey practice went well?"

"Dunno." He said. "I'm not on the team. I was only watching." He reached up and emptied the snow from the machine, watching it spill out onto the floor. Jack then grabbed a shovel and moved the snow into a storage bin where it would eventually melt and be filtered and reused as new ice unless someone wanted to take some to play in, which happened quite often in warmer weather.

"Sorry I didn't see you yesterday." Tooth said, biting her lip. "I was really busy."

"I expected that was the case." Jack stated, continuing to shovel the snow. "Guess I can't really blame you though. I'm sure if I was in a high end university, and I actually wanted to be sitting behind a desk, I'd take it pretty seriously too."

Tooth stood there and watched him shovel for a few minutes until he'd cleared out all the snow. She didn't say a word which worried Jack, but he couldn't think of anything else to say to her.

And so, the two descended into awkward silence.

Jack placed the shovel against the wall and headed back into the rink area. He took a quick look over the ice, nodded and headed for the doors.

"So that's it?" Tooth asked, trotting after him. "You're done for the day?"

"Yeah." Jack stated. He removed the keys for the rink from his pocket and stuck the one that accessed the power grid into the keyhole by the light switches. He waited until Tooth was by the door before killing the lights and removing the key. He held the door open for her to step through before sliding out after her and locking the door behind them.

Tooth was still following him as he hung his keys up on the rack behind the reception desk. He felt like he should say something, but he wasn't sure what else he could say. He chewed the inside of his lip nervously.

"Jack?"

"Huh?" He turned towards Tooth, meeting her eyes. He felt his heart stutter in his chest as she smiled at him.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" She said.

"Yeah." Jack said, his lips curling into a smile. "See you tomorrow."

Then he watched as Tooth turned and headed for the dorm building. He was still standing there even after she disappeared through the front door.

"What's wrong with me?" He muttered, pressing a hand to his forehead. "I only just met her for god's sake..." He headed towards the parking lot where his car awaited him.

...

Tooth lay in bed that night, staring out the window at the stars twinkling in the sky. She could still see Jack in her mind. His smile was the main thing she could see, but now, she could see his eyes. His warm, brown eyes so full of life. She didn't know why it took her so long to notice them.

She sighed heavily and rolled over, closing her eyes. The worst part was she barely managed to speak to him today. He seemed so...distant. Was he upset that he didn't see her yesterday? Or...

She bit her lip, her eyes opening again. It was any mention of school that tended to shut him up. She'd mentioned being busy. He'd known it was with school. It appeared to be a sort of taboo topic. As she closed her eyes once again, she promised herself she wouldn't bring up school the next time she saw him.

.

.

.

**Y'know, I found a taxi driver that loves driving a taxi. He said he liked meeting people and talking to them and driving. So yeh ^^ That taxi ride was quite enjoyable XD best one I've had XD**


	4. Chapter 4: Balance

**A/N: Sorry this update is late... I'm distracted at the moment and I'm kind of hoping I'll be able to get back into writing this story... *is currently halfway through chapter 7...* but yeh ^^ anyway, enjoy the chapter :D**

**BTW FAN FICTION GLITCHED AGAIN SO STOP YELLING AT ME ABOUT THE GODDAMNED CHAPTERS NOT WORKING!**

Peppermint Winter

Chapter 4: Balance

Tooth could swear her Professors had something against her spending time with Jack.

The review questions they received were ridiculous in number. On Wednesday, when her classes started at twelve, she managed to exchange quick 'hello's with him before she had to hightail it to class. She hoped she'd be able to visit him at the rink before the day ended.

Nope. Not if her Professors had anything to say about it.

Thursday was just as bad. Tooth looked over her review questions and felt like she was on the verge of a panic attack. There was so much she needed to know, so much she couldn't call up from the back of her head at the drop of a hat. She was so focused on reviewing that she completely forgot about the kickboxing club. By the time she realized it, it was far too late to go and she groaned in frustration, her forehead smacking into the textbooks in front of her. She lifted her head and then slammed her books shut. Was it even worth going to see Jack? No. It wasn't. He couldn't help. How could he understand what she was going through? He _dropped out_ of college. He couldn't know how difficult this was.

Tooth stood up and stomped into her kitchen, looking for something to make for dinner. She gave up after a few seconds and stepped back into the main room, seeing the books and papers scattered all over her desk. She let out a frustrated cry and threw herself onto her bed, burying her face into the pillow.

...

Jack knew Tooth was busy with school. That didn't stop him from missing her.

He hoped he would see her Friday, but he received no such luck. Over the last few days, the number of students using the ice had dwindled to next to nothing. Jack couldn't help but wonder if they were getting sick of it. The thought made Jack worried. If nobody skated, then he might be out of a job.

Jack was watching the few students who were on the ice skate around and around, talking to each other with serious expressions on their faces. He pondered the reason for this strange phenomenon, but he guessed it was something very, very simple. Something he couldn't understand simply because he wasn't in school.

Pitch came into the rink around three, making Jack stand up.

"Hello." He greeted as the headmaster approached.

"Greetings." Pitch said. "I thought I'd stop by to let you know what's going to be going on for the next few weeks."

"All right."

"Next week is exam week, so I need you to keep the rink open for that." Pitch stated.

_Oh,_ Jack thought. That explained Tooth's disappearance.

"And after Friday December twenty-first, the holidays will begin and the school will be closed."

"So you don't need me to work the ice for the duration of the break?"

Pitch shook his head. "No. But I need you back on January seventh. Will that be a problem?"

"Not at all." Jack said.

Pitch smiled. "Well, then that's all. I will speak to you later."

Jack nodded, watching the headmaster head from the room. As soon as he was gone, exam week flashed through his mind once again. Anxiety and worry settled over him like a blanket. Was Tooth all right? When he was back in high school he'd freaked about exams as well. But he also knew that having an anxiety attack was the last thing he wanted to do. If Tooth was stressed...

Jack took a breath and sighed. The party from Molly's Daycare Center was coming by Snow Mountain again tomorrow. Hopefully she'd be there if she didn't stop by today.

...

Tooth was having nightmares.

When she woke up shaking from her latest nightmare Saturday morning, she thought about calling in sick. But she knew she couldn't. She had to look after the kids at Snow Mountain today. She shuddered at the thought of lost studying time.

Tooth dressed slowly and glanced at her clock. Six thirty. She'd woken up extremely early. As she made herself breakfast, her mind had time to wander over the nightmare. She'd gone into the exam and looked down at the paper. She'd read the entire thing and realized she couldn't answer _any_ of the questions. She'd panicked and woke up. It was just as bad as the nightmare that came the night before. The one where she failed everything and got kicked out of school.

Tooth tried to listen to her iPod as she walked to the daycare center, but she soon learned that even music couldn't stop her mind from racing. She couldn't pull up any information she thought she knew. She tried to name all the teeth in the human mouth, but she couldn't call up the information. She was ready to cry with anxiety.

Tatiana raised an eyebrow at her when she stepped into the room that morning, as if questioning what she was thinking. Tooth ignored it and proceeded to greet every child with a false smile. They took one look at her and walked away, never looking at her again.

And _that_ hurt a lot more than she could say.

When the bus was loaded, and the singing began, Tooth pressed her face against the cold window, squeezing her eyes shut as she fought the frustrated tears.

They arrived far too soon for Tooth's liking.

She led the kids off the bus, Molly taking up the rear to make sure everyone stayed in line. She walked numbly up to the chalet and pushed her way inside. Then she remembered Jack worked here. She automatically wished she _had_ stayed home today.

Tooth waited with the children until the instructors came. Sure enough, there was Jack. He smiled down at the children and then looked up to find her. Instantly the smile was wiped off his face, replaced with a frown. Tooth looked away, promptly ignoring him. It was just her luck that Molly would once again have her oversee the children who were being taught by him. She watched mutedly, Jack occasionally glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. She ignored him every time.

When they headed into the chalet to warm up, Tooth hovered around a group of children, hoping he wouldn't come looking for her. She didn't even know why she held on to that hope.

"Tooth,"

She stiffened, closing her eyes.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Why?" Tooth asked, turning towards him. She froze, seeing his brown eyes filled with concern and worry.

"Please?" He asked, his voice both demanding and pleading.

Tooth sighed and gave in, following him to the window where she could still keep an eye on the kids, but still talk to Jack semi-privately.

"Are you all right?" He asked.

"I'm fine." Tooth lied.

His expression didn't change. "Can you do me a favour?"

"What?"

"Do you get off work by five?"

Tooth nodded.

"Can you come by the rink when you get back to the university?"

She frowned. "Why?"

"Please, just come by the rink, okay?"

She stared at him, giving him her best glare.

"Please?"

"..._Fine._"

He gave her a weak smile. Then he turned after a quick farewell and left the chalet. Tooth headed back towards the children, sitting in her chair and staring at the wall, feeling like she was going to be sick.

...

Jack didn't know whether he should take Tooth's promise to come by seriously, or not expect her to show up. He watched the time tick by as a few students slid around the ice on their skates. Some of them were laughing, but there were those others who had a hint of anxiety in their gazes. He couldn't help but hope they all did well on their exams when the time came.

By the time three o'clock rolled around, Jack was feeling a bit of anxiety creeping into his mind. He was chewing the inside of his lip, the spot that had only just healed from when Tooth had cracked him in the mouth with her elbow the day they first met. It was just over a week ago, but for Jack, it felt like it had been at least a month. As if he already knew her.

The students left the ice again, the sound of skates disappearing as the rink emptied. Jack took this to his advantage and headed for the Zamboni, knowing he hadn't cleaned the ice for the last three hours; he had no need to. He finished far sooner than he would've liked and glanced at the clock. He sighed and parked the Zamboni, releasing the snow that had been collected and shovelling it into the bin. His mind was in a haze. He wasn't thinking about much other than Tooth and whether she would actually show up. His shovel was scraping concrete before he realized he had cleared the snow already.

Jack propped the shovel against the wall and headed back out into the rink area. He scanned the sidelines for Tooth, but couldn't find anyone. The rink was deserted. Everyone was off either in class or studying for exams. Maybe he should've just left Tooth be...

Jack shook his head. No, leaving her alone was the last thing he could do. When he'd seen her at the ski hills, she was a mess. She had dark circles beneath her eyes, and she looked almost sickly. Like she hadn't slept or eaten in days. It wouldn't surprise Jack. Cramming for exams took its toll on a person. Jack knew that. He did it once back in high school. Biggest mistake of his life. He never did it again.

Jack sat on the bleachers and leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes for a bit. He would occasionally open them to glance at the clock, watching as the time slowly ticked away. Jack started losing hope.

It was around four thirty that he heard the door open.

Jack sat up straight and glanced towards the door, his heart racing. It was Tooth. She was glancing around, a distant expression on her face. She looked like she wanted to be anywhere but there.

"Tooth!" Jack called, hopping down the bleachers and stepping towards her. She looked up at him with wide eyes. Frightened eyes. Eyes filled with anxiety and worry.

Then they hardened as Tooth clenched her teeth. "Okay, I'm here. What did you want?"

"Can we talk?"

Her eyes narrowed.

Jack sighed. "Tooth, I'm just worried about you, okay?"

"Why? Because I haven't stopped by the rink?" Tooth spat, her voice sharp. "In case you've forgotten, I have _school_ to worry about! Just because you get by lollygagging around on the ice and playing in the snow with kids doesn't mean I do!"

Jack kept his mouth shut, chewing the inside of his lip.

"I have to work hard _every, single, day_ to keep my marks up! And now, exams are coming! If I don't get at least an eighty average, _I get kicked out_ Jack!"

"I understand that, Tooth, but-"

"No you do _not _understand!" Tooth practically shrieked. "You dropped out of college! You don't know what it's like to prepare for an exam where if you fail, _everything_ you've ever worked for goes down the drain!" She breathed heavily, her hand snapping up to her cheek to wipe away a tear before he noticed. However, he did notice. And there was more where they came from. It hurt, seeing her cry. It hurt so much, he didn't even consider the results of his next actions.

He reached up and brushed the tears from her cheeks. He _did_ understand what she was going through. He lived that nightmare. If he lost any one of his jobs, he could lose his house. Yes, it was a small pathetic little house, but it was a home all the same. A little base he set up for himself. Yes, maybe he had no need to cram for exams, but he still had to work hard. And he _certainly_ did not lollygag around on the ice.

But he brushed all of the comments aside, knowing she probably didn't mean them. Not a hundred percent at least.

Tooth whimpered, swatting his hands away to wipe the tears off herself. Eventually she gave up and pressed her face into her hands and sobbed. Jack sighed, his hands out in front of him. Then he reached out and pulled her into a hug, gently rubbing her back as she cried into his sweater.

"You may not think I don't understand, Tooth." Jack said softly. "But I _did_ in fact graduate high school. And I _know_ what it's like to be under pressure to get decent grades."

She sniffed and pushed him away, wiping her eyes on her sleeves.

"But I also know that stress around exam time won't help you much."

She looked up at him. "I can't help it... All of this is..." She sniffled.

"Tooth, have you ever had trouble reaching that eighty average?"

"No..." She glanced away. "But that was because the last few years I had n-ninety going into the exam. Right now, I have e-eighty six..."

Jack nodded. "Do you think you can keep that eighty?"

"I don't know." Tooth said softly.

"What subject are you having trouble with?"

"C-Chemistry." Tooth stated.

"Gah, I hated that class so much." Jack pressed his hand into his forehead. "I just couldn't wrap my head around the compounds." He sat down on the bleachers. "I was _freaking out_ when the exam came around, because I thought I would fail it. I kept telling myself 'Jackson Frost, you don't understand any of this crap. You'll never pass.'" He smiled slightly. "Guess what happened."

"You...passed?" Tooth asked hopefully.

"No. I failed." He sighed heavily. "I sat down, and I couldn't call up any of the answers. I'd already told myself I'd never pass. The only thing left for me to do was actually fail."

"What are you saying?" Tooth asked.

"I'm saying, go into that exam and tell yourself 'I can do this'." He smiled.

"But I can't..." Tooth whispered.

"When's the exam?"

"Tuesday."

"Great!" Jack stood up. "Tell you what: I'm going snowboarding tomorrow, and you're coming with me."

"W-What?" She looked up at him, completely confused.

"Tooth, you need to take a break." He smiled warmly. "Recharge your batteries. Relax a bit. Feel better about yourself. Then on Monday, I'll help you study. How does that sound?"

Tooth turned her gaze onto the floor. She looked back up at him after a few seconds.

"Okay." She said quietly.

Jack grinned. "All right! I'll come by around nine tomorrow morning to pick you up. Bring snow gear. I can't stress that enough."

"I can't snowboard though..." Tooth said softly.

"I'll teach you." He said, still grinning. "Honestly, I've been teaching kids for the last three years. You'll probably be a faster learner!"

Tooth let out a soft laugh. A small accomplishment. She was already starting to look a little better.

"Thanks, Jack." She said, smiling slightly.

"Don't worry about it. We're friends, right? We look out for each other."

Tooth's smile widened. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yep. For sure this time, right?"

Tooth nodded. "I have to...go home. I need some sleep."

"Sleep well then, Tooth."

She gave him another soft smile and turned, heading out of the rink. When she disappeared from sight, Jack let out a relieved laugh. At the very least she wasn't angry with him. And now, hopefully, she'd sleep well tonight. And when that was all said and done, hopefully she'd pass her exams with flying colours.

...

Tooth awoke with a start, realizing she'd fallen asleep. She blinked rapidly, feeling lighter than a feather. She could swear she could fly! It had been her first dreamless sleep in a long time. She laughed out loud, unable to hold it in. She flushed slightly, remembering the feeling of Jack's rough, yet gentle hands on her cheeks. She couldn't hold back a shiver of delight as the feeling of his arms wrapping tightly around her rushed back. She'd felt so secure, like everything was going to be okay. But at the same time, the thought of being hugged by him was nerve wracking. Almost awkward.

Regardless, Tooth realized, Jack was probably the most wonderful person she'd ever met. He'd known her for just over a week now, and he was treating her like they hadn't just met. As if they'd been friends for years. And for Tooth, she felt like she'd known him for years as well. It was a strange, yet welcome feeling.

She took a quick glance at the clock, realizing it was just after eight. She slid from her bed and headed into the kitchen to make breakfast. She found herself humming as she cooked the food, and the sound startled her. How had he managed to cheer her up like that? How had he managed to drag her out of that deep, dark hole with a few choice words and a hug?

Tooth spent a lot more time than normal choosing her outfit. She couldn't help but think she was technically going on a date with Jack. It would be just him and her, and they'd be going snowboarding.

Oh man, she hoped she wouldn't embarrass herself...

Tooth finally settled on an outfit and brushed her hair for twice as long, barely noticing she was doing it. She just...really wanted to impress him. She knew enough about males to know that they didn't tend to notice anything unless it was a drastic change. He would notice if she dyed her hair every colour of the rainbow, but he wouldn't notice the fact that it was shinier than normal.

Tooth checked the clock one last time and collected up her winter gear and pulled on her jacket. She headed towards the elevator, enjoying the silence in the halls. The Sunday Silence, as she had dubbed it, was probably one of the most wonderful silences she'd ever heard...or didn't hear.

The elevator dinged and she stepped inside, her heart thudding in her chest as excitement flooded through her. Maybe Jack was right. She really needed a day to escape school. Even if it was just for a day.

Tooth headed out the front doors, a slight spring in her step when she noticed the light, fluffy snowflakes falling from the dark clouds. She headed towards the parking lot, wondering if Jack would see her from wherever he was. She wasn't even sure if she was here yet. She waited a few minutes, and eventually saw a car pull into the parking lot. Her heart raced as she watched it approach.

Sure enough, Jack's smiling face sat in the front seat. He didn't have to ask her to approach the car and pull the passenger door open.

"Hey," she greeted, smiling slightly.

"Hello," he returned. "Throw your stuff in the back seat."

She did, noticing a snowboard in the back along with other snow gear. The bottom of the snowboard was a blue to white gradient covered in snowflakes. It was nice to look at. She bit her lip as she noticed a second one tucked in behind it.

Tooth sat in the car and closed the door, buckling her seatbelt. Then Jack drove off, his window wide open. The cold air whipped around the car, but Tooth couldn't bring herself to mind. She loved the way it tossed his hair around and made it look wilder than usual.

"How'd you sleep?" Jack asked, breaking the silence as they drove out onto the streets.

"Pretty good." Her eyes scanned the car, looking for something interesting. She saw two plush snowflakes hanging in the place of fuzzy dice on the rear-view mirror. She couldn't help but reach over to squish one.

Jack chuckled. "My sister gave those to me a few years ago for Christmas."

"You have a sister?" Tooth asked, taking her hand away from the snowflakes.

"Yeah." Jack said, turning on the windshield wipers for a moment to clear off the melted snow. "Do you have siblings?"

"No. I'm an only child."

"Ah." Jack nodded. "I heard that gets lonely."

"It does." Tooth said, shrugging. "I heard siblings are a pain though."

"Mine isn't." Jack said proudly. "Lily is the best sister in the world, I swear."

"That's so sweet. Maybe can I meet her someday?"

"Maybe. She's at university right now. Living in residence. I haven't seen her since Christmas last year. I expect she'll be joining us again." He grinned. "Man, now I'm really looking forward to Christmas."

"I'm guessing your family gets together on that day?"

"Yeah," Jack said smiling. "Of course, it's also kind of hard too."

"Oh? Why?"

"You can expect having the last name 'Frost' has its perks." Jack stated.

"What do you mean?" Tooth asked, frowning slightly.

"There's at least eight or nine Jack Frosts in the family."

Tooth laughed. "Why?"

"Why do you think?" Jack asked, grinning. "Jack Frost, the mythical winter spirit. It's become a Frost family tradition to name the first born male Jack."

"Oh my!" Tooth laughed.

"You can imagine when the family gets together." Jack stated, shaking his head. "Where's Jack? Which one?"

Tooth laughed harder.

"Yeah, so we gave nicknames to all of the Jacks in the family."

"Like?" Tooth prompted.

"Well, playing off the whole winter spirit thing, I'm 'the Jack that actually likes winter'."

"Nobody else does?"

"I just happen to like it the most." Jack said with a grin.

Tooth laughed. "Any other ones?"

"Yeah, there's 'the Jack that likes cats'. He's my uncle. He runs a cat hospital. Baby Jack is the name we give to any newborn Jack Frost. Little Jack tends to be any Jack between the ages of two and ten, hopefully there's only one of them at a time. And right now we have one Grandpa Jack. That's self explanatory."

Tooth grinned. "Any other interesting ones?"

"Yeah, there's 'the Jack that plays guitar'. He's in a rock band. Oh, and there's 'the Jack with the blonde hair'. No idea how that happened. And I have a female cousin named Jackie."

"WHAT?!" Tooth laughed. "Why?"

"Her parents thought it would be fun to break tradition, so they named their little girl Jackie." Jack shrugged. "I think it's hilarious. Everyone else did too. We just call her 'the Jack that's actually a female'."

"Why don't you call her Jackie?"

"We do. But we also think it's more fun to give really complicated nicknames to each other."

Tooth laughed, smiling slightly, watching the chalet of Snow Mountain approach. "Your family sounds wonderful."

"Maybe you can meet them sometime." Jack stated. "Christmas is usually a family affair, but you might be able to come by on New Year's if you're interested. To them, it's the more the merrier."

"I'll have to think about that."

Jack nodded. "All right then." He pulled into the parking lot and parked the car. Tooth watched him climb out of the car before rolling up the window. He seemed to be doing it purely out of habit. He pulled open the back door and grabbed his snow gear. "I brought one of my old snowboards for you so you don't have to rent one."

"Oh..." Tooth said, taking the extra snowboard. The bottom was patterned in bright rainbow colours. She couldn't see Jack using it ever, although it looked well worn. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Jack said, smiling. "I have a few too many of them, but I can't bring myself to sell them or give them away."

"How many do you have?" Tooth asked.

"Around four I think. I have one from when I was a kid. It has Spider-Man on the bottom."

Tooth laughed. "You liked Spider-Man?"

"Yeah." Jack said. "Every child has to have a favourite super hero, right? What was yours?"

"I never got to watch cartoons." Tooth said, biting her lip. Her parents always thought television rotted the brain.

"Ah." Jack nodded slowly. "Fair enough."

He didn't question it, which almost worried Tooth.

"Nowadays though, I like the X-Men." He added with a grin. "There's a character that controls ice. I wish I could be him."

"Why?" Tooth asked with a laugh.

"That way, I could go snowboarding all year round!" Jack held the door to the chalet open for her. "It would be fun!"

Tooth laughed.

...

"I-I've changed my mind! I don't think I can do this!" Tooth cried, trembling slightly as she stared down the bunny hill.

"Tooth, you know how to balance. Just remember everything I told you." Jack reassured. "And I'll be right beside you the whole time."

Tooth bit her lip. "O-Okay..." She bent her knees slightly, her arms trembling.

Then Jack let her go. She slid slowly at first, but she began to pick up speed, which startled her. She screamed and fell, her heart pounding.

Jack skidded to a stop right beside her. "Well you made it halfway down, which is pretty good considering you just started today." He said with a smile.

Tooth let out a nervous laugh as Jack picked her back up onto her feet. She slid the rest of the way down the hill, Jack right beside her.

"You okay?" Jack asked.

Tooth nodded. "Yeah... But I think I want to stop for now..."

Jack nodded. "All right. We'll go inside then."

"Oh, don't let me ruin your fun." She unstrapped the snowboard and picked it up, heading for the benches beside the chalet. Jack followed and she turned and smiled at him. "You go down one of the hills. I'll watch."

Jack grinned. "All right then!" He turned and he ran for the ski lifts. Tooth kept her eyes on him the entire time. Even from a distance, she knew where he was. He stood out, with the way he walked, and the way jumped into the lifts. She wished at the very least he had a neon jacket on, because once he was at the top, it was hard to pick him out of the crowd. She however, knew what his jacket looked like and so she kept her eyes on that.

And then, he came down the hill.

He moved with such speed and grace that Tooth couldn't hold back a gasp. He cleaved through the snow like he was merely skating on a frozen lake. He shifted his weight, swerved and turned, moving fluidly with the snow. As if he'd become one with the hill. He went off a small ramp, turning a three-sixty and landing heavily on his board again, not even coming close to losing his balance.

Then he trotted back over to her, a bright grin on his face.

"That was amazing!" Tooth cried.

Jack flushed slightly, grinning. "Not really. It's just a little ski hill."

"Still, it's amazing!" Tooth said, unable to stop herself from smiling. "You're so talented!"

Jack bowed his head, scratching the back of his mop of hair sheepishly. Tooth laughed, realizing he wasn't taking the compliments too well. He looked almost embarrassed.

Tooth shrugged, deciding to push the matter a little further. "Maybe you could enter competitions."

"No." Jack said, so sharply that she flinched.

She met his brown gaze and saw an unidentifiable emotion in them. One thing was clear though: Jack _never_ wanted to compete.

"Why not?" She asked.

"Because." Jack stated, gazing back at the snow hill. "When something is at stake, all the fun leaves." He turned back towards her. "If I were to compete in the Olympics, I'd be trained every single day. Sure, I'd be better off. I'd get paid more. But that's not the life I want."

"But you love snowboarding." Tooth pointed out. "Why don't you take that as a career path?"

Jack sighed, brushing a bit of snow off the bottom of his board. "I enjoy snowboarding. It's fun. It's an escape. It's something I like to do above all other things." He said, staring at the snowflakes patterned on his board. "I had a friend back in high school who loved basket ball. I would play with him on occasion. He joined the team, and after that, he changed. He got a scholarship to a college just so he could play basket ball there. The sport went from good, harmless fun to a way of life." Jack sighed. "As far as I know, now he plays for a professional basket ball team. But he doesn't enjoy it like he used to. Because if he fails, if he slips up, he loses his career."

"That's a little grim, don't you think?" Tooth said, smiling slightly.

"Whatever. I might be going a bit off my mark." Jack said, running a hand down his face. "Anyway, the point is I don't want to compete. That's it, that's all." He sighed and smiled at her. "Anyway, you want to give the hills another shot?"

Tooth nodded, standing up, inspired by Jack and his skill. She wanted to be just as good, or as close as she could get.


	5. Chapter 5: Examinations

Peppermint Winter

Chapter 5: Examinations

Tooth honestly didn't think Jack would be a very good study buddy.

Yes, he did a fantastic job putting her in high spirits yesterday (she'd finally managed to stay on her feet for the entire bunny hill) and now she felt like she could do anything. Even pass that chemistry exam. However, she still had to do a bit of studying to make sure she knew the contents. And to be honest, she was really nervous about using Jack as a study buddy, simply because he _clearly_ stated his lack of an affinity for the sciences a few days ago.

But, as she would soon find out, the world was incredibly surprising. Because frankly, Jack was the best study buddy she'd ever had.

Tooth had gotten by with gathering in a group and quizzing each other and thought that was good. But Jack was much better, simply because he didn't know the answers. Plus, he didn't understand the material at all. It _forced_ her to explain everything.

"Tooth, you're regurgitating." Jack said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "What on _earth_ did you just tell me?"

"That an acidulant-"

"_What_ on earth is that?" Jack asked.

Tooth bit her lip. She couldn't recall the definition. She just knew the answers. And she suddenly remembered.

"Oh! It's an additive that lowers the pH level of food."

"Oh wow. Okay." Jack ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know why you'd want to do that but sure."

"It gives food a bitter taste."

"Why would you want that?"

Tooth shrugged. Then she frowned. "Why did you just use the term 'regurgitate'?"

"Because that's what you're doing." Jack stated, leaning against the wall and watching a few of the students sliding around the ice, some of them with notes in their hands. "Your professors gave you the answers, and you commit them to memory, and then spit them back out when the time comes for it."

"Oh."

"And that's why I'm pretty much making you explain everything. That way, you know what it is you're saying. You learn better that way." He paused. "At least I think that's the way it works."

Tooth laughed.

"Okay, get back to work."

...

For the first time in years, Jack's head was swimming with information. Technically he wasn't in school, but he'd practically been asking Tooth to teach him everything she knew about chemistry. Jack had no idea what she was saying half the time, but he kept getting her to explain, just until he figured she had the information tucked safely in her mind.

Jack headed for the next question on the review sheet, the complicated words spilling across his tongue in the most ungraceful way. He wished he had more finesse about it. It sounded like someone had spilled a box of Cheerios on a counter. When she said it, it sounded like those Cheerios were landing happily in the bowl, ready to be eaten.

And Tooth jabbered away, her face lighting up on occasion as she realized she _did_ in fact know the answers.

By the time Jack had to close up the rink for the day, Tooth couldn't stop smiling. The sight of it made him feel as if he were on top of the world. She had such a bright smile. It made him feel warm on the inside.

Jack headed towards his car after parting ways with Tooth. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing her practically skipping towards the dorm buildings. He couldn't help but smile. Things were finally looking up for her. It made him feel just as good, as he'd been a part of what cheered her up.

Jack slid into his car, rolling down the window before pulling the door shut. Her exam was at ten in the morning tomorrow. He contemplated whether he should go visit her before hand, but after a moment he figured it would be better if he didn't. She didn't need any distractions. Jack could only hope that she'd be all right for when she went into the exam.

...

There was some kind of party going on in the dormitories that night.

Tooth groaned and pressed her head into her pillow, silently damming the culprits to the deepest pits of hell. They had _no_ respect for anyone else who was in the building! Yes, maybe they were happy that they passed their first exam (or maybe they were just letting loose in the dumbest way they knew how) but that didn't make it all right to disturb anyone else who could potentially be studying. Or in Tooth's case, trying to get a good night's sleep. She suddenly found herself wishing she could talk to Jack, but unfortunately she didn't know his phone number.

Somehow, Tooth managed to fall asleep despite the noise. However when she woke up the next morning, her eyes almost refused to open. She forced herself up, knowing that her exam was today at ten. She quickly checked the clock, nodding as she realized she had two hours to get ready. That would be plenty.

She took a quick shower, made a big breakfast, and when that was done, she sat down to read a book, relaxing her mind for the coming exam.

...

Jack got his grocery shopping done that morning. The entire time, his mind was on Tooth and wondering how she was doing. The fact that he had Tuesday mornings off made it next to impossible for him to find a proper distraction from the anxieties plaguing his mind.

Jack returned home and turned on the radio, trying to re route his mind so he thought about something other than Tooth writing her exam, which she was probably doing by now. It worked at first, but he eventually began to tune the background noise out, and it was no longer distracting him. He tried reading a book, but that was even worse. He'd read two full pages before he realized that he didn't even remember what had happened. He closed his book with frustration and tossed it on the table, buzzing his lips. He glanced at the clock. It read eleven-thirty.

Sighing heavily, Jack got to his feet and made himself a quick lunch to take with him when he went off to work.

Upon arrival at the university, he couldn't help but glance around to see if he could see Tooth. Of course, he didn't see her. He didn't expect to. Jack headed into the athletics center and made his way over to the ice rink. As per usual, there were a few students lined up wanting to go inside. Jack let them in and checked over the ice, even if it wouldn't have changed overnight. The students slid out onto the ice, some of them chatting animatedly with each other, presumably about the exams they've been having. Some of them seemed to be muttering under their breath. Others carried notes and were reading off them.

Jack kept glancing at the clock, watching as the time ticked slowly. Surely exams didn't go on for longer than two hours at a time. Then again, he didn't know university very well. He wouldn't be surprised if they went on for awhile.

As it turned out, he didn't have much longer to wait.

Jack turned when the door slid open. He smiled, seeing Tooth step into the rink, her eyes scanning the area, searching. He stood up and began hopping down the bleachers. She looked up, saw him, and the most amazing smile whipped across her face as she ran over. Jack barely had time to get his hello out before her arms were wrapped tightly around him.

"Thank you so much, Jack!" She said into his chest.

"I guess that means the exam went well?" Jack asked, smiling down at her.

Tooth let go and grinned broadly. "Yep!"

"That's good."

And then she began spewing out a kind of play-by-play of the entire exam she had to write. Jack did his best to follow along to her moments of triumph when she remembered an answer, to a moment where she just couldn't find the right answer, so she guessed.

Tooth sighed in relief. "Well that's just one exam down. I have a few more to go."

"Do you need me to help you study for those too?" Jack asked.

Tooth smiled slightly. "If you're willing to. But I'm more confident with these ones."

Jack nodded and glanced at the ice, watching students zipping around for a few seconds.

"I guess I should let you get back to work, huh?" Tooth said, embarrassed.

"It's not like I'm really doing much anyway." Jack said honestly, running a hand through his hair. "The ice isn't being used as much as it was before exam week, so I only have to resurface it every few hours or so."

"Wow, so I guess you get pretty bored sometimes huh?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah, I kind of do."

Tooth smiled. "Then I'll stay here for a bit then. I don't have anywhere I need to be today. I took the day off work so I could write my exam."

"Fair enough." He climbed to the top of the bleachers and sat down, watching the skaters sliding across the ice.

"I guess you spend a lot of time watching people, huh?" Tooth asked, watching the students as well.

"Yeah." Jack said. "Sometimes I get lost in them when there's a lot of them. It's almost like watching a fish tank. Have you done that before?"

Tooth shook her head. "I've never kept fish."

"My mom keeps a huge tank in the living room." Jack said. "It's been there for so long. My sister and I would take turns cleaning it."

Tooth smiled weakly. "That sounds amazing. I was never allowed to have pets, so...yeah."

"Not even a hamster?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.

Tooth shook her head. "My parents thought they were disgusting."

"They are not!" Jack cried. "They're no more disgusting than humans are."

Tooth laughed. "I know that. I'm sure they just didn't want to deal with them. They're very clean people, seeing as they're doctors. They're cautious about disease."

"Despite popular belief," Jack said in a mock accent that didn't work at all. "Cats do not carry Bubonic Plague."

Tooth burst out laughing.

Jack gave her a smile. "Well who knows? When you live on your own, you can get yourself a pet, right?"

"I wouldn't know how to look after one to be honest." Tooth said, running a hand through her hair.

"It's not hard. Keep its home clean, feed and water it every day, and give it the attention it deserves."

"You make it sound so simple."

"Well it is." Jack shrugged. Then he stood up, looking down at the ice. He glanced at the clock, figuring it was about time to clean the ice. "Well, I gotta go do my job, so I'll be back in a bit."

"Don't let me keep you." Tooth said, smiling as he hopped down the bleachers, heading for the Zamboni. He waved the students off the ice that complied almost immediately and sat down on the bleachers or leaned against the sidelines to watch the machine go around.

...

Tooth had her second exam the next day. She'd done a bit of studying with Jack before he closed the rink for the night and headed home. Regardless, Tooth knew she was going to do well on this exam.

She went in that morning, she sat down, she wrote, she explained, and when she was finished, she felt as if she were on top of the world.

It wasn't quite noon yet so Jack hadn't arrived at the university. Tooth looked forward to seeing him again, her heart pounding in excitement. Ever since that day he helped her study, she'd felt a sort of attachment and respect for Jack. No, maybe he wasn't in school, but he worked hard. And he could still find the time to help her when she needed it. There was just something so wonderful about that. It made her wish she could return the favour in some way or form, but she wasn't sure how she could.

Tooth sat on a bench in the middle of the campus, occasionally looking up for her book to search for Jack. Around eleven forty-five, Jack arrived. Tooth stood up with a grin and ran over to meet him.

"Hey!" She said.

"Hey. How'd your exam go?" He asked, barely breaking stride as he headed for the athletics center.

"Pretty well." Tooth said smiling. "I have two more tomorrow and my last one on Friday."

"Awesome. So you'll be with the kids on Saturday, huh?"

Tooth nodded. "Yeah."

"Those kids are great." Jack said, unlocking the rink and holding the door open for Tooth. "You're lucky to be working with them."

Tooth shrugged, still smiling. "I'm sure you've had better kids to work with."

"Not really." Jack sniffed. "Some of them are quite annoying. They like to scream whenever they fall down and it takes them ten minutes to work up the courage to try again. Others don't even bother. I honestly feel bad for the parents who paid to have their children taught."

Tooth nodded slowly.

"Sometimes it kind of feels like I wasted my time on some of those kids." Jack murmured, propping his chin up on his fist. "And it makes me feel terrible when I think that."

"Well it depends on what you mean."

"I feel like I wasted my time because they just...didn't like it. It took time away from kids that actually _do_ like it."

"Ah. Well that's understandable."

Jack smiled weakly. "It can't be helped though."

"I know."

"And I do like working with those kids."

"I can tell." Tooth said, smiling. "You always look like you're having just as much fun as they are."

Jack shrugged. "I do my best. The way I see it, life's not worth living if you don't enjoy it."

Tooth laughed. "That's true."

He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. For a moment he looked so sweet and so peaceful that Tooth couldn't bring herself to look away. She was almost tempted to reach over and brush the lock of brown hair out of his eye. Her fingers twitched slightly with the urge. How soft would it be? She nearly went to go find out when his brown eyes fluttered open.

"Sorry." He said, brushing the lock of hair from his face much to Tooth's disappointment. "I didn't sleep very well last night."

"Oh. Why?" She asked.

"Ah...New neighbours." He twiddled his thumbs. "They just moved in yesterday. They threw a bit of a party. Unfortunately they have quite the sound system. It was thudding away until all hours of the night."

"Oh my..."

"I guess you get the same thing here though, huh?" Jack asked. "With all the parties that go on?"

"Yeah, there's the occasional party." Tooth said. "They usually don't bother me too much."

"Unless you're trying to study?" Jack asked.

"Yeah. Pretty much." Then she smiled. "Or when I'm trying to sleep."

"Oh very funny," he rolled his eyes, a grin on his face.

The two of them lapsed into silence for a bit, occasionally exchanging words. Eventually, Tooth headed up to her dorm to pick up her notes so she could do some more studying. Jack didn't stop her. He, as he did before, helped her study.

As the day wound to a close, Tooth watched Jack zip around the ice on the Zamboni one last time before meeting up with her a few minutes after. The two of them left the rink together and headed back out onto the campus.

"Hey, Jack?" Tooth suddenly piped up.

"Huh?" He stopped and turned towards her.

"A-Are you going back to the snow hill on Sunday?"

Jack grinned. "Of course. Why? Want to come again?"

Tooth flushed slightly. "Yes." She said, smiling timidly up at him.

Jack laughed. "All right, you can come."

Tooth grinned.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Jack said, still smiling. "Maybe. If your exams don't go for too long."

"Yeah, they kind of take up most of my day." Tooth ran a hand through her hair. "I guess I'll see you Friday then."

Jack laughed. "I guess so."

And Tooth found herself not wanting to leave him just yet. Unfortunately, he gave her a quick wave, turned and then headed on his way without looking back. It left Tooth wondering how she'd grown attached to him so quickly. She couldn't help but wonder if he felt the same way.

...

Jack knocked on the door to North's office after he arrived at North Pole Sports Center Thursday morning.

"Come in!"

Jack pushed the door open with a smile. "Hey, North."

"Jack Frost!" North said happily. "How is university?"

"All right." He smiled. "Actually I wanted to talk to you about that. They shut down the school for the Christmas holidays so I was wondering if you'd take me on full day on Thursdays for the next two weeks."

"Starting today?" North asked.

"No, next week."

"Good. I wouldn't be able to do that anyway." He laughed. "Sure. I take you on full day next Thursday and Thursday after that. Sound good?"

"That would be great. Thank you so much."

"You are welcome, Jack. Anything for one of best employees."

Jack felt a little embarrassed at being called one of the best employees. He couldn't help but scratch the back of his head nervously as he forced a sheepish grin onto his face. He mentally shook himself and stood up straight.

"Well, I'll get to work then." Jack said.

North continued smiling from behind his big white beard. "Rink nine for you today."

Jack nodded. "All right." He grabbed the keys and headed out the door and into the facility, heading for rink nine.

...

When Tooth wasn't studying, she was pouring over YouTube videos of people snowboarding. She wanted to learn, and she wanted to impress Jack with her 'skills' on Sunday. She wasn't sure if she could do very well, but she now had a habit of standing on curbs and practicing snowboarding motions. She thanked her lucky charms that Jack wasn't there to watch.

When she finished her latest exam that day, she put her index and middle finger on top of her pencil and pretended it was a snowboard. She was smiling as she slid the pencil across her desk and across her scrap piece of paper, pretending it was a snow hill. The professor that was watching over the exam raised her eyebrows at her, receiving a blush and a shrug in response.

When the exam ended, Tooth bolted back up to her dorm room to watch more snowboarding videos. She stood up and pulled her couch away from the wall and balanced on the back of it, laughing as she pretended she was going down the side of a mountain. At the very least all of this improved her balance. She wasn't sure it would apply on a snowy hill.

Tooth ran for her next exam, barely noticing the fact that Jack would be in the skating rink by now. Maybe she _should've_ gone to visit... It was too late now anyway. There was no sense in worrying about it.

Tooth got through her exam in record time. She had a few extra pieces of paper left over, so she proceeded to doodle all over them. She was a terrible artist, but doodling was a pastime she quite enjoyed.

They were released from the exam just after five. Tooth ran towards the athletics center, feeling just a little bit hopeful. But the rink was dark. Jack had already gone home. Oh well. She'd see him tomorrow after all.

...

Jack waited for Tooth in the rink the next day. The halls of the school were filled with excitement and happiness as exam week wound to a close. The Christmas holidays were just around the corner too. A few girls came up to him to say hello, and Jack returned the gesture, even though it caused them to break out into fits of uncontrollable giggles.

"Can I touch your hair?" One of the girls suddenly said, reaching her hand out.

"Uh, no." Jack replied, dodging out of the way. "Why would you want to do that?"

The girl blushed and shrugged, a sheepish grin on her face.

Eventually, Jack was forced into the back room where he could be alone. He pressed his hands into his forehead and fought back a groan of anger. It was just like high school all over again. _This_ was the reason Jack _never_ dated anyone.

...Okay, he dated _one_ person in his life, and that barely counted.

Eventually, Jack worked up the courage to leave the back room. Thankfully the girls were gone, probably to an exam, and he was once again alone. Jack scanned the ice and then climbed the bleachers where he sat and watched the skaters, continuing his wait for Tooth.

She arrived about an hour later when Jack was cleaning the ice. He grinned in her direction and continued his round on the Zamboni while she watched. Honestly, he couldn't get done fast enough. As soon as he parked the Zamboni, Tooth was back with him, watching him shovel.

"How'd the exam go?" Jack asked.

"Pretty well I think." Tooth replied. "I'm confident at least. I should get my marks soon enough."

"That's good."

She smiled brightly at him. "Thank you so much for helping me study."

"Don't worry about it."

She sighed in contentment and smiled brightly. "And now, I'm finally free!"

Jack laughed. "That's good."

Tooth smiled brightly for a moment before it faded. "Guess that means I'm moving back in with my parents until the holidays are over."

"You don't want to go back?" He raised his eyebrow.

"Not really."

He frowned. "They're your parents though."

Tooth shrugged. "They're really uptight and stuff. They suck all the fun out of everything."

Jack snorted. "As in?"

Tooth rolled her eyes. "When I was a kid, they wouldn't let me toboggan down hills. If I was sledding in anything bigger than a drainage ditch, I'd get into trouble."

"That's madness!" Jack cried.

Tooth nodded. "If they knew you'd taken me snowboarding, they would've thrown a fit. They're over protective of me."

"Ah, so you're feeling a little rebellious, are you?"

Tooth grinned. "Maybe just a bit."

Jack laughed. "Well then. Let's not disappoint!"

She laughed.

"By the way, if you want to get away from your parents on New Year's, my offer is still open." He said with a grin.

Tooth smiled. "I might just take you up on your offer then."

"You'll love it. My family is just..." He shook his head, grinning from ear to ear.

"Insane?" She offered.

"Yeah. Insane." He laughed. "From Christmas to New Year's Day, the Frost household is filled with crazies."

"Who's the craziest?" Tooth asked.

"I'd like to say Uncle Jack who likes cats, but apparently it's me and Jackie."

"Oh, your cousin?"

Jack nodded. "That's the one."

"Why is she crazy?"

"Uhh..." He scratched his head, leaning the snow shovel against the wall. "Apparently she's only crazy around me... You'll have to ask someone else about that, because honestly, I'm not really sure."

"How is that even possible?"

"Uhh... Apparently I have a tendency of going crazy around her."

Tooth laughed.

Jack grinned. "All I know is that she's as fun as hell. We have an annual watch of _Monty Python and the Holy Grail _on New Year's."

"What's that?"

He looked surprised. "It's probably one of the funniest movies I've ever seen!"

Tooth laughed. "All right, if you insist."

"Oh I do insist."

She laughed again and Jack led her back towards the bleachers. They climbed all the way to the top where they talked about random things that held no significance to real life. When the clock reached five, Jack closed down the rink and the two of them headed out onto the campus where they continued their conversations on a bench until the sun set.

In the end, they parted ways with cheerful thoughts of seeing each other tomorrow and snowboarding the next day.

.

.

.

**PLEASE READ**

**I would've wrote this at the top but I figured it would spoil your happiness for having an update.**

**This is the last update for Peppermint Winter for a long time. I'm really busy with school, and I simply just do not have time to write. Literally, by the time I get home from school, my brain power is all used up, and I literally cannot write for the life of me. So I apologize. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I hope to be able to update again ASAP.**

**If you want updates on what I'm up to, it might also be a good idea to check out my deviantART page. I'm under the same name (SilverEyeShinobi). I update on there much more often than I do on Fan Fiction.**

**~Silver**


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